The mood around Celtic Park was a bit desolate when Southampton came looking for Virgil van Dijk came. Virgil looked like he was scared of getting hurt in the capitulation against Legia Warsaw; the Bhoys lost out on Champions League qualification, although the player was heading south anyway.
With Stuart Armstrong heading to the St. Mary’s Stadium, there is significantly less stress at Parkhead. Stuart made a name for himself at the club during his three years spell there, but he left without achieving a regular starting place in the squad. Celtic is selling a fringe player whose contract expires next year for a fee which shows how much the English transfer market has been inflated.
Celtic have managed this playing asset very well. Consequently, they have more money available to reinforce the team. It is also worth noting that they could have cashed in on the player a year ago but resisted as Brendan Rodgers did not have backfill. The manager has been preparing for this scenario since. This should be an enjoyable summer for the Celtic support.